Making Room For Joy at Christmas
Christmas can feel complicated. We can feel lots of emotions at once: harried with many things to do, spread thin inside a calendar filled with parties and people you may or may not actually want to see, longing for—or freedom from—Christmases past, with a ribbon of delight and... Read More
Character and Values | Imagine The End
Tangerine Day
Do you remember parachute pants? If you do, sorry I brought it up. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, that’s probably a good thing. Parachute pants were slim fitting pants made of a similar material to that of a parachute. They made you hot in... Read More
High School (9th-12th) | Imagine The End | Middle School (6th-8th)
3 Things Every Parent Should Do Before Your Kids Leave Home
So you might be just beginning this parenting voyage . . . and can’t even bear the thought of your chubby little gem growing up to leave home one day. Or maybe you’re well into this thing called parenting and you realize that in a few years, your oldest son or... Read More
The Growing Up Dance
Several months ago, when reading a book to my four-year-old, I read the word embarrassed. “What’s that mean?” he asked. “It’s feeling like you look silly to people when you don’t want to”, I explained. “Like when I was Winnie the Pooh?” He wondered. I knew exactly what... Read More
2 Myths About Creativity
Creativity is a hot topic these days, but the idea is sometimes misunderstood. Here are two myths that could actually squelch creativity if believed. Myth #1 – You are born creative or you’re not. Creativity is not a gene that’s passed on like red hair. It can be... Read More
Fight For The Heart | Imagine The End
Normal is Creativity’s Nemesis
When my son Sam was about four, he had a plan. He was a huge hockey fan, and he suggested we build a new house that was entirely underground with a hockey rink inside. There would be no windows and just enough space for the family and a... Read More
My Days on A Pit Crew
Many of my childhood weekends were filled with kid stuff—playing outside, wading in the creek, playing with dolls and roller-skating. However, there was a short time when I was on the pit crew of my dad’s racing team, and that was major. Not really your normal kid weekend.... Read More
Create A Rhythm | Fight For The Heart | Imagine The End
Bad Days
On a good morning, the bananas I give my boys to eat don’t have any brown spots, the color plate they request is clean, the eggs are cooked just past the sliminess stage, their favorite shirts aren’t at the bottom of the dirty clothes hamper and every request... Read More
Create A Rhythm | Family Life | Imagine The End
How to Slow Down Childhood
The minute you have a kid, a chorus of people will come around you and proclaim, “They grow up so fast! They grow up so fast!” Before you have even left the maternity ward or adoption agency with your child, you will feel the great pressure of time bearing... Read More
Create A Rhythm | Family Life | Imagine The End
What Happens at Dinner
If you were a fly on the wall of my house between 5:00 and 5:30 pm you would observe something that—after some time—you might describe as dinner. You would notice how seemingly haphazard, disorganized, and muddled it was, but at some point, you might be able to discern... Read More